Drifters run to first win past K&Q Tigers

A paralyzed vocal cord wasn’t going to stop coach Scott Foster from enjoying Colonial Beach’s first football win last Friday. The King & Queen Tigers appeared unconditioned as they were unable to match the willpower of the Colonial Beach Drifters, who posted a 44-6 win in the opening weekend of the regular season.

First year head coach Peter Lampman of the Tigers hopes his players will move past this loss to open the season.

“[Colonial Beach] played hard, played well, obviously they are used to running that offense of theirs and so even they lost guys from last year they have a lot who have been in the system for years and it shows,” Lampman said.

Foster smiled at the thought of a 1-0 start heading into a bye week. He complimented the coaching staff and players for adjusting to his health and showing it on the field.

“You don’t have to be a yeller to get your point across. It’s my style to yell, but you don’t have to. [The players] are paying attention to me, my coaches are stepping up and we’re getting work done,” Foster said.

King & Queen made the game a little bit simpler collecting 12 penalties, dropping four fumbles and losing one to Darin Jones after literally taking it out of the quarterback’s hands.

In the opening quarter, running back Shamar Shanks and quarterback Nick Graves stunned the visiting Tigers to take a 16-0 lead. Shanks ran from 49 yards out and later on Graves scored from 16 yards. Both contributed a two-point run following each other’s touchdowns.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard before the half, but they were unable to capitalize on a two-point conversion. The visiting team had to lick their wounds facing a 30-6 halftime led by the Drifters.

Graves connected with receiver Mike Mothershead for a 32-yard touchdown pass followed by a two-point score from Shanks, and Andrai Turner ran in a three-yard score all in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, the Drifters offense was slowed down scoring the only 14 points in the remainder of the game. Shanks caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Graves along with Cameron Headley scoring on a two-point conversion. Then DezJohn Parker powered his way the endzone after catching six-yard pass from Graves. The quarterback’s extra point attempt was no good after hitting the right side of the goal post.

A trip to Franklin is next on the team’s schedule as the Drifters take the weekend off for their bye. The last time both teams meet were in the playoffs in 2010.

“It’s going to be tough,” Foster said. “We’ll work and we’ll strap up like they have to because that’s what we do.”

Foster said he hopes his guys clean up a few things noticed in the opener against King & Queen between blocking assignments and missing tackles. Otherwise as Foster pointed out the Drifters are well conditioned for game situations.